Democrats push for legalizing workers

August 03, 2001|By Jonathan Peterson, Special to the Tribune. Jonathan Peterson is a staff writer for the Los Angeles Times, a Tribune Publishing newspaper.

WASHINGTON — In a push for a broadly inclusive immigration plan, House and Senate Democrats on Thursday said the United States should create a program to legalize undocumented workers of all nationalities, and that such employees should enjoy the same labor rights as everyone else.

The Democratic manifesto, which comes a week after President Bush hinted that all unlawful immigrants may be considered in his new legalization approach, suggests that the debate has broadened beyond U.S.-Mexico issues and could become the most sweeping examination of immigration policy in 15 years.

Democratic leaders, who had been relatively quiet as recent White House talks with Mexico stirred up the immigration issue, sought to assert themselves in a debate that could extend into next year and beyond. Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle (D-S.D.), House Minority Leader Richard Gephardt (D-Mo.) and other Democratic lawmakers endorsed expanded immigration to unify families, an enhanced program of guest workers--opening up new avenues for legalization--and greater freedom of movement between the U.S. and an immigrant's home country.

Pointedly, the Democrats made clear that their strategy extended far beyond Mexico, noting that many undocumented U.S. residents are from other Latin American countries, as well as from Canada, the Caribbean, Asia, Africa and Europe.

"We welcome the efforts of President Bush and [Mexican] President [Vicente] Fox," Gephardt declared. "But we must do more to help more immigrants."

Yet as the Democrats' statement of principles encouraged immigrant advocates, it also raised concerns among those who are skeptical about amnesty and would prefer stricter limitations on entry into the country. Bush administration officials are wrestling with such issues as they negotiate with Mexico over immigration policy, in preparation for Fox's visit to the United States in September.

The Democratic principles are similar to some of the administration's ideas, but suggest a more open approach to legalizing immigrants and, ultimately, granting them citizenship. Both parties would like to benefit from the nation's burgeoning population of Latinos.

"The issue is clearly snowballing," said Mark Krikorian, executive director of the Center for Immigration Studies, a group that favors tighter controls on immigration. "The Democrats are going to want more and more. More amnesty for illegals. More exceptions to the immigration law. And the Republicans at some point have to make a decision: Do they try to one up the Democrats in a me-too approach, or do they try to clarify a distinct position?"

On Thursday, Democrats stirred the debate by unveiling their own set of broad principles to guide immigration policy, citing a "historic opportunity to recraft our immigration policies in ways that better reflect our core values." Party leaders shied away from technical details and numbers, but made clear their intent to grant legality to a wide assortment of the 6 million to 8 million immigrants who lack legal status in this country. Democrats called for:

- Allowing more immigrants into the United States to reunify families.

- A new program of "earned legalization," targeting "longtime, hard-working residents of good moral character, with no criminal problems ... who are otherwise eligible to become U.S. citizens."

- An expanded program of temporary workers, paving the way for them to have permanent immigrant status and eventual citizenship.